The Theif King's Wish
by Aimi Kitsune
Summary: Aladdinplotted YGO fic WITHOUT Disney! The Theif Bakura can't have the woman he loves, until Dartz shows him where to find a magic lamp. Will it be enough to make her fall for him?
1. 1: Roses, Dreams, and Fairy Tales

The Thief King's Wish

By: AimiKitsune

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Disclaimer: I own neither Yu-Gi-Oh! nor Aladdin, nor even the basic idea for writing this! X3 Thank you, Higuchimon? (O.o Never thought I'd say that.. .. Cool!) I do not own the name "The Dancing Dove" for the inn, nor any other names or minor elements I borrow from Tamora Pierce. I basically own nothing so far. Ya happy now?

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Aimi: Okay. So. Guess thanks to certain dumb rules, I can't have my muse anymore... sigh I love muses, too.. Anyway, Higuchimon's challenge, and thus the plot, is an Aladdin-plotted YGO fic, but WITHOUT Disney elements! No monkey, no parrot, no singalongs. And the pairing? (Not part of the challenge.) Outcastshipping! Thief Bakura x Kisara:3 Enjoy.

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Chapter 1: Roses, Dreams, and Fairy Tales

Bakura walked quickly down the busy streets of the marketplace. "Oh! Sorry!" he quickly apologized after bumping into a man. The man just sneered and walked on, dismissing the riffraff. Bakura continued as well. After a few moments to put distance between them, he pulled a small sack of gold out of his pocket, a smirk appearing on his scarred face. "Idiot.."

The thief then walked around browsing, and bought a loaf of bread and a small fish. Well, he may not have the easiest life in Agraba, but he rarely went hungry. Occasionally, he even got something nice for himself. Hm? That looked promising.. He 'tripped' and fell right into a young couple.

"Hey! Watch it!" the young man yelled, his girlfriend trying to calm him down.

"What? I'm sorry! Please forgive me?" He gave his best innocent beggar look. With his linen-white hair against his dark skin, most people thought something was wrong with him anyway. Now, clothed in just a skirt and scarred, wide-eyed face pathetic, it was rather convincing. "I'm so horribly clumsy.." he muttered in self-pity.

"Of course," the girl said. Her boyfriend began to protest, but she silenced him and quickly dragged him away. Neither of them noticed she was now missing a golden bracelet.

Bakura got up and admired his new jewelry. "I wonder how much I can get for this from the boys at the Dancing Dove?" he thought aloud. "Let's find out.."

He was about half way to his favorite inn when trumpets sounded. "Make way, for her royal highness! Heiress of our great land! Future-" The titles continued, though few were listening to them. Those who cared already knew them, and those who didn't care.. well.. just didn't care. Bakura was, of course, part of the latter.

'Great.. More stupid nobility..' he thought. He hated nobility with a passion. He would have stood right in the middle of the path just to spite them, but trampling by horses had never been his favorite form of pain.. The first of the royal guards was passing, so he had no choice but to step back and wait to cross the road until the entire train had gone by. He sighed. May as well enjoy the parade..

Guard.. Guards.. More guards.. Ah, here was the noblewoman. A young girl rode on either side of her, each holding a large feathered fan in front of their Lady. Suddenly, a little kid darted out in front of them. Before Bakura could even think, the boy's mother swooped him up, but one of the horses still shyed. She winnied and pranced, making her rider jerk her fan down to grab the reins. The young thief gaped..

There in the center, temorarily uncovered at least for those on this side of the road, was the most beautiful thing Bakura had ever seen: the princess, Kisara. Her long silk hair was the palest blue-silver imaginable, and her skin looked like ivory. Set in it were two sapphires that served as her eyes. Her thin, frail build wouldn't have looked out of place among the riffraff, yet somehow still had amazing curves and only emphasized her beauty. A dark blue ribbon with a sapphire dangling from it was tied around her neck. Her skirt and top were just a bit darker than the sky. Every last detail of her only served to enhance the next. She well could have been the perfect woman.

"I think I'm in love.." he said quietly. It took five minutes after she'd passed for Bakura to remember what he was doing and continue to the Dancing Dove. By the time he arrived, he'd forgotten all about the bracelet.

---

"Hello there, Bakura!" Sol, the old bartender and innkeeper said. "I see you brought me some dinner."

The thief smirked. "Hardly. Though would you mind fixing this up for me?" he asked, holding out the fish. "There'll be 2 gold chips in i-"

"Done!" As he took the fish, Bakura shook his head, then began looking around for any of his friends, a difficult task in the hectic seen before him. Ruffians of all sorts were scattered about, gambling, drinking, or showing off stolen goods or new scars. A few nasty arguements looked to be taking place, but so far only one had turned physical. Not bad compared to usual, really.

There in the back, a young man whose platinum blonde hair looked as out of place as Bakura's white looked about to get himself in an arguement with a heavily built man who could have been either a poor merchant or fairly wealthy thief. "What are you getting into now, Marik?" Bakura asked as he approached.

"This _jackass_ claims I'm selling junk!" Marik Ishtar exclaimed, giving the other man a dirty look.

His friend shrugged. "Well don't sell it to him. Don't get yourself in a fight over it." Marik looked suddenly sheepish. That was a simple answer.. "Alla, let _me _look at it even!"

"Right.. I knew that." He turned briefly to the other man and scorningly said, "I suppose _you_ can take your business elsewhere!" Afterward, he rummaged through a sack and pulled out what looked like a half-bloomed rose. Here in the desert, even the image of one was rare. But that was not what caught Bakura's attention. The stem and leaves were made of a nearly white metal, and the 'bloom' was a carefully carved sapphire. "That _neanderthal_ said it was tin and stone. Any man with _eyes_ should be able to see this is worth a small fortune!"

"Which is why he wanted you to lower your price," Bakura stated matter-of-factly as he took the flower to admire it. It must have taken ages to carve every diverse face that made the petals look so real. "It really _is_ a work of art, isn't it.. And its sapphire..." He stared at the large gem until it seemed to pull him in. He LOVED blue.. Like the princess' eyes.. What would she think of a gift like this? he wondered, staring dreamily as he imagined it.

"Hello-o.. Earth to Bakura?" The thief snapped out of his trance. "You okay? I _said_, where did you get that bracelet?"

"Hm? .. Oh! Right!" He looked down at the gold dangling from his wrist. "I just picked it up today. Another random robbery, nothing more." After all, it wasn't like stealing was any major deal to either of them.

"Trade ya." Bakura gave him a questioning look; surely he'd misheard. "No, I'm serious. It's a gamble finding a buyer for this thing. Gold is an easy market. And if I _can't_ get a good price," he shrugged, "I'll wear it myself. I think I owe you a fair debt anyway. Now I can consider it paid."

Bakura considered it. I _would_ be a gamble finding a market for such an odd piece of work, but a fortune was guaranteed anyone who did. And besides that, he just liked it. Sapphire wasn't the easiest gem to find, and who knew what the metal was? It was unique, and beautiful. Like Kisara.. He smirked. "You've got yourself a deal, Ishtar." He handed over the bracelet and got up from the table. "I'm going to find a safe place to store this."

A light laugh escaped Marik's sensual lips, playing visciously in his amethyst eyes. "So you're going to get your coat and put it in your pocket.."

Bakura's wide mouth formed a grin that would frighten anyone unaccustomed to it. "Exactly. Do you think I trust anything of value to lie around with vagabond like _YOU_ running around?" Marik gave him a dirty look, but it was in fun. "The best way to keep something safe is to keep it with you, and even then you have to watch yourself." Marik rolled his eyes, but smiled, and stated his agreement as Bakura headed upstairs. If anyone actually used this place as an inn, he wasn't aware of it. Most of the rooms were either vacant or occupied by near-permanent boarders, himself included.

He unlocked his room and grabbed a long crimson robe, possibly the most valuable thing he owned NOT obtained directly or indirectly by theft. He wrapped the light cloth around himself and carefully slid his rose into an internal pocket. No one was going to _think_ of stealing _this_ without a fight.

He'd locked his room back, scant defense though it was in a place so chock-full of lockpicks, and made it down a few stairs before he noticed.. Something was wrong. .. It was quiet! The only time that happened-

His gray-violet eyes raced to the door to see two imperial guards. "There he is!" a female voice yelled. Both guards' eyes narrowed on Bakura as they raced towards him.

"Oh shit-" He turned to run, but forgot there were still a few stairs there. His face met the stone floor and his new treasure taunted him as a metal leaf nearly stabbed him. "Ow." He fought to get up, but the guards were already there. As they yanked him up, Bakura recognized the young man whose girlfriend he had robbed earlier. The only difference was that he now wore a sash with the colors to indicate an imperial guard-in-training. 'Of course..' he thought. 'Just.. my.. luck..'

As they dragged him out, both sides fighting, the building erupted in cowardly protest. Everyone yelled. No one would DO anything about it, but they ALL wanted to yell. "What did you go and do now!" Marik yelled in a slurring, harsh sounding language spoken only by the lower class.

"How was _I_ supposed to know I was practically robbing a guard?" he answered in the same.

He could've run. He honestly could. But that would have required shedding his dear coat, and the precious treasure it still contained. And he wasn't willing to do that. Besides, they couldn't execute him for petty theft. He would spend a few days, maybe a week or two at most, in their pathetic dungeon; then he would be released. A few new scars would be the worst he might get. He sighed. The punishment was easy enough, but he still wasn't enthused. 'Perfect.. And now I don't even get to eat my fish..'

---

Princess Kisara sat in her chamber, crooning three rather large foxes. These were not the tiny things found in holes in the local sand, but big, beautiful creatures nearly half her size, imported from the furthest western lands. The largest, her only male, perked up his ears and looked to the door. He gave a light yip.

"Hm? What is it, Kyprioth?" She followed his gaze, then waited. Presumably, the was a knock at the door. She answered it, Kyprioth and her younger female, Kali, at her heels.

"Princess," a servant said. Kisara noted that he was attended by a soldier. This had to be important. "It was requested of me you be given this rare gift. Please do accept it." He pulled out a sapphire rose. The metal could have been gold or even silver in the right light, but, for the most part, looked closer to white.

"It's beautiful.." she breathed. The remaining fox, the female Rispa, came to see it as well. "Who-.. Who gave this request?"

The servant seemed taken aback. "A-.. prisoner, my Lady. It was found on his person, but when we tried to confiscate it- well he fought us tooth and nail to keep it. Suddenly, he seemed to give up, and told us we could take it only if we would give it to the princess- if it pleases you, Higness." he added, and bowed lightly.

She blinked. A prisoner? What must such a man be like to fight so passionately only to relinquish such a rare treasure under such odd conditions? "Yes, thank you," she said. She hesitated a moment before they turned to leave. "Wait. A request?"

"Yes, my lady?"

"Give this prisoner my gratitude." Both servant and soldier bowed in place of a nod and went on there way. Kisara closed her door and placed the rose on a table near her bed. "It's beautiful, isn't it, Rispa?" The vixen's yip was a light, low alto. Kisara laughed. "That's right." She knew good and well her mysterious giftgiver would likely never get her thanks, but she could dream. In her dream, a strong handsome young man would come after her with his token and take them both to some wonderful exotic land, where real roses grew aplenty and everyone was wealthy. She yawned and lay down among her dozens of silk pillows, Kali climbing into her arms, Kyp and Rispa curling up at her feet. Within moments she was dreaming for real, a regular sleeping beauty.

---

Bakura quite literally would have killed to be having as nice a night. He hoped to Alla he would only spend a few days and not a few weeks in this rat hole. It was scarcely more than a cave, and that only because of the sparse torches that lit _most_ of it. They'd let him keep his coat, so at least he was warm, though he worried about whether or not the princess had gotten his gift.

"Greetings, young one." Bakura glanced up to see a royal official suddenly standing over him and smirked. He'd know that pale teal hair and those blue and gold eyes anywhere.

"Why Dartz," he said, getting to his feet. "Whatever brings you here? You never come visit anymore you know." It was well known to everyone, save for the pompous nobility, of course, that Dartz was one of the most crooked officials in the country.

The look on Dartz' face matched Bakura's exactly for sly calmness. "I do apologize, old friend. I've been so busy with these palace brats and all. I suppose it always slipped my mind." Bakura knew better, but he wouldn't bother. Getting anything out of Dartz he didn't want to tell was like trying to wrestle with an elephant. "Honestly though. I have a proposition for you." Bakura's eyebrows shot up as he waited for the rest. "I hear you are quite the thief..."

---

Bakura laughed when he'd heard Dartz' story. "Let me see if I understood you. You want me to follow this pathetic little map a _three-year-old_ could have drawn, to some _cave_ in the middle of the desert- to find a _lamp_?" He laughed again at the sheer stupidity of it.

Dartz, however, was completely serious. "It's not just a cave, and it's not just a lamp. The cave is well guarded, both with traps like the tombs of kings to the west in Egypt, and by... other things," he said awkwardly. "And the lamp-? Well.. I will just say it is important to me." Before Bakura could decline him again, he added, "I will pay you handsomely for this, on top of your freedom."

That got the thief's attention. After a moment of contemplation, he smirked. "How handsomely?" A rather large bag filled with gold pieces and a few bejeweled rings, bracelets, and necklaces was dropped at his feet. That. May well convince him. "If there's any truth to this cave at all, the rest of it's a fairy tale." His grin became once again near frightening. "But then, I think I'm beginning to like fairy tales.."

Dartz' smile was deviously calm and cool, his blue and gold eyes showing the slightest bit of dark contentment. "Good.. Follow me, then, my dear friend..."

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Aimi: Woohoo! I finished a chapter! Go me! X3 Anyway, a few random things- 1) Yes, I kept the name Agraba. That is the ONLY thing even remotely kept from the movie. 2) The foxes have nothing to do with Raja. It just seems like a princess would have exotic animals. Their names are pronounced KIP-ree-oth, RIHS-puh (I know its spelled Rispah, I just felt like making it Rispa.), and kah-LEE. (:D I made SOMETHING original!). 3) The rose's stem white gold, just in case you didn't figure it out.. 4 and finally) Yes. I DID have to make them refer to Egypt even though their not in it. n.n

This has been Chapter One. Thank you for choosing Aimi's Fics, and please, don't forget to review. X3


	2. 2: Of Fairies and Fox Friends

The Thief King's Wish

By: AimiKitsune

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Disclaimer: I own Kali, and the fox versions of Kyp and Rispa. I own Abiad. I own Meru. Other than that- I! OWN! NOTHING! X3 Not the show, not any copyrighted characters, NOTHING! X3

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Aimi: Hallo all! I have wonderful news! I have found evidence that there are bigger geeks out there than animé fangirls: I watched a documentary (3/14/06) where guys were claiming birds were dinosaurs! X.x Weird... Anyway! I hope you're all enjoying the fic so far. Now, let's see if Bakura can find that lamp:3

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Chapter 2: Of Fairies and Fox Friends

The weary thief looked down at his map. _Surely_ he _must_ be getting close by now! He yawned as he put it away. He was immensly glad Sol had let him store his new bounty in the Dove's safe. Not even the pettiest low life in the country would try to rob the Dancing Dove, nor any of the other places where the Rogue assembled freely. And besides that, he was tired enough without hauling around heavy bags.

Suddenly, Bakura's ears were pierced by a loud, screeching howl. Too short for a howl really, more like a prolonged yip. He slammed his hands over his ears as the sound repeated. "What on earth-" He began searching for its cause, following the raucus well off his path. Just as he was getting ready to stab out his ears and get it over with, he saw something. A little desert fox had gotten his foot caught under a rock. From the looks of it, he'd become stuck against the small cactus while trying to get free. Now the poor little guy was twice caught and twice hurt.

"Poor thing. No wonder he's making such a fuss!" He ran to try to help. He was right on top of the fox before he noticed in the scant moonlight: he was white! His head jerked up toward the two-legger and snarled, allowing Bakura to see he also had pink eyes. "So you're albino.." he mused. "Well like it or not, you need my help. So you may well want to stop that!"

As if he'd understood every word, the fox quieted. First came the rock, a bit heavy, but easy enough to push aside. Then, the cactus. Bakura was amazed how little the fluffball resisted at having pins yanked out of his side once he was free. "There now," he said as he pulled out the last one. "All better." The fox looked up with large, grateful eyes. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go on!" He tried to walk away, but the little fox followed. "What? No! Go!"

He just said, "Yarp! Yarp!" and continued to follow.

Bakura sighed. "Are you really going to insist on following me?" The fox yipped; Bakura rolled eyes. "Fine.. But if you're going to tag along, you need a name." He looked the little guy over. An albino desert fox.. His tail, bushy and round-tipped, was almost his body length, which still didn't make him the length of Bakura's arm. His tapered snout sported a pink rather than black nose and lips and almost invisible whiskers. His eyes, gold in any of his relatives, were large and reddish pink. But probably the most amusing feature was his ears. Each was larger than his entire head, making him look almost chibi. Even with his ridiculously large ears, he looked about two hands high, if that. It seemed cruel to name him after his small stature or silly ears, so Bakura decided to use the most obvious trait. "Abiad," he said. "Your name shall be Abiad."

Abiad yipped. Bakura rolled his eyes. "Now where was my trail?" He looked around, lost. Suddenly, Abiad yipped madly and took off. "What! Where do you think you're going!" The fox stopped and looked back to his two-legger friend, then yipped again. Bakura gave a cross between a sigh of exagerration and a laugh of disbelieving self-pity. "You've got to be kidding me.." he mumbled. "Let me guess, you want me to follow you?"

Abiad's eyes looked somehow brighter. "Yarp!"

---

Bakura gaped at the size of the cave. From the way Dartz had described it, it nearly sounded like a giant tiger was going to leap out of the sand and eat him. (X3) It was just a cave, fortunately, set in the side of a cliff. But it was still huge, as he found shortly after climbing through the tiny opening outside.

A few pieces of odd furniture layed strung about, as shown by torches that were hung on the walls. Bakura puzzled over this. Judging by the thick dust everywhere, no one had been here in ages, yet the torches glowed as brightly as if they were lit today. They didn't look even close to burning out, either.

Abiad growled curiously. Everything about this place screamed strange. It was like it belonged to a world all its own. The little white fox trotted deeper into the cave. "Watch yourself, Abiad.." Bakura looked around. "Now where's that lamp..."

"Yarp yarp yarp yarp!" Abiad's voice was unnaturally high, almost frantic.

"What's wro-" Gray-violet eyes widened as spears came into view. Bakura dropped to the ground just in time to miss them flying overhead. He glared at the fox, who looked ironically sheepish. "All right. No more wondering off for you." He carefully got up, much more wary now of his surroundings, and slowly began to go deeper into the cave. "C'mon." Abiad trotted at his heals.

Two halls of spring-loaded arrows, another spear trap, and one crumbling floor later, they came across a large chamber that had only two torches, one on each side wall, yet seemed to glow like the sun. It took Bakura a minute to realize why, and he nearly had a panic attack when he did.

The room was made of solid gold! Barely keeping from hyper-ventilating, he walked as fast as his now stiff legs would allow, and placed a hand on the nearest wall. "Gold.." he breathed. "Solid.. Gold.." Abiad, however, seemed rather finicky (X3 Fennec) about the room. He yipped disdainfully. "What is it?" Bakura asked absent-mindedly. A few headbutts finally made him look to see what the problem was, creating a whole new obsession for him.

The ground at first glance had appeared to be covered in sand. That was odd this deep in a cave when floors before had been naturally carved in the stone, but Bakura had paid it no mind. Now he saw the truth: it was covered in powdered gold. The thief dropped to his knees, barely caring about the sudden pain of scraping them on the metal. He dug his hands through the beautiful gold until he hit the real floor: a highly polished alibaster. "Amazing.." He laughed in sheer glee. "Wonderful! Amazing!" A hyper moment took over as he began rolling in the golden sand. "Poor Dartz! What a fool! He has no idea this is here! Ha-ha! Lamp? Who needs a _lamp_! This is greater than anything in the world!" The sudden thought of Kisara calmed him down, though barely. Would he give this in exchange for her if given the choice? He shook it off. It didn't matter HOW rich he was, he was still common-born! Besides, people could betray you and hurt you. But money- money would never leave! He continued to frolic in the fine gold.

"Yarp! Yarp!" Abiad yipped happily. Bakura hurried up to see what else he'd found. Once again, he found himself in shock. By now it was closer to being delerious, since he'd seen so much, but this was still enough to make him gape a moment. The next chamber was made of pure chrystal, a blue-indigo with many facets on every section. Scattered throughout the room were immense piles of precious gems: rubies, emeralds, diamonds, topaz, peridots, garnets, and-.. sapphires. He just laughed, not even knowing why. The laughter turned to deleriousness again as he skipped about the room, running handfuls of gems through his fingers. The smallest pile was still his eye level, and the largest must have been nearly twice his size, if not a lot more! But-

Where did the light come from? This room was nearly as well illuminated as the last, though it seemed a bit darker with the dark blue walls, but there was no flame to be seen. Abiad looked up and yarped. Bakura followed his gaze and saw the source: two large, diamond-like chrystals that seemed to glow on their own! "What one of those must be worth.." he daydreamed aloud. Then he saw it. Another door. Unable to contain himself, he ran to it. What he saw surprised him, but not for the reasons he'd thought it would.

The final chamber was relatively small, a round room with the same chrystal walls and gold leaf etched into symbols upon it. But other than that, only one thing stood in the room. There were no gems, no fine gold. All there was was a narrow marble pedestal, and upon it, an old worn lamp.

"Is this it?" he asked, disappointed. "In this hoard of treasure, is THIS what I'm here for?" He couldn't believe it. Why on earth would anyone consider this of importance? But it was what he was sent here for, and though the petty bounty Dartz had paid him didn't come CLOSE to rivaling even the WALLS of the deep cave, he was still obliged to hold up his end of the bargain.

When he stepped into the room, however, his opinion slightly changed. Everything flashed, leaving him dizzy. When he was able to shake it off, he found he didn't like it. Not one little bit. This room was the same, but he felt no light from behind. He turned, and gaped. The room behind him was now a plain cavern, filled to the brim with rocks, and the room behind it filled with ordinary sand. He scowled and cursed with confusion, but entered the truly bright room. A stone slab slammed on the ground behind him. "Shit!"

He was trapped. Naturally, right? He looked to see the golden runes on the wall had changed- they were now legible. He read it. "The greatest lie is the greatest art. See the truth, O Pure of Heart. The eye will trick you to see gold in tin. But the truest treasures lie within." He snorted. "What a load of-" He yelled, and kicked the lamp of the pedestal. Abiad ran after it as it hit the wall with a clang.

"Arr?" The fox sniffed it, despite his friend's tart remark to leave the piece of shit be. He then started to lick it. After a moment, he let out a frantic "Yarp!"

Bakura turned to see what the matter was, and nearly jumped out of his skin! The lamp! Red sparking smoke was coming from the lamp! With a loud pop, a figure suddenly appeared. Bakura couldn't even breathe.

"Greetings, young master," a crisp, air-like voice said. Its owner was what appeared to be a young man, roughly Bakura's age. His long silk-straight black hair fell to each side, barely covering part of his face. It was pulled to a high pony tail in the back. A trim black tuft of a beard accented his sensual mouth and slightly upturned nose. Lightly arched eyebrows were placed gently over piercing emerald green eyes and high cheek bones. His skin was a creamy golden color, far lighter than Bakura's, yet still quite tanned. He wore an expensive-looking red silk vest over a bare chest, and full white pants that were tight around his ankles. His feet were bare save for a few bejeweled anklets and toe rings. His arms, hands, and neck were no less decorated. The young man was floating.

After several moments to catch, then recatch, his breath, the thief stammered, "Who-.. _What_ are you!"

"Excuse me?" the crisp, cool voice asked. "Oh! Of course.. I forget after so many centuries, people stop believing in genies."

"Ge-... GENIES!" The young ma- er..- genie nodded. "But- That's propostorous! They're fairy tales! Fairy tales!"

He blinked. "Oh? Do I look like a fairy tale?" He lowed himself to stand on the ground, then walked over to Bakura and placed a hand on his shoulder. He was exactly the same height as the human. "Do I _feel_ like a fairy tale?"

"I-..." He found himself tongue-tied. Even Abiad was silent.

"There now." He patted the thief's arm. "I am Meru Akhdar. And you-" He smiled, showing off beautiful pearly white teeth. "You are my master.."

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Aimi:D Omg! That was really short, I know, but it was the most descriptive/least dialogue filled chapter I've ever written! I'm getting better about not filling space with pointless dialogue. :3 I SHALL be the next Tamora Pierce! X3 WHEE:D

Um.. In case anyone doesn't know (don't expect you to, so don't feel bad), Abiad is Arabic for white. And, even though it has no meaning whatsoever for this fic, Akhdar means green. -shrug- It sounds cool, okay? I'm not aware of a meaning for Meru, but pronounce it mer-UE. (Rhymes with who.)

And please- Don't flame me for the fox-turned-Lassie scene? Even Bakura thought it was dumb, remember..? -sweat-


	3. 3: The Royal Rogue

The Thief King's Wish

By: AimiKitsune

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Disclaimer: Again, I basically own Kali, Abiad, and Meru. The only thing POSSIBLY worth stealing is Meru. But please don't? I own ideas from this particular fic, save the basic plotline of poor kid finds genie to help win royalty's heart. Past that- I don't own a thing: characters, show, half the names, etc. So no one sue me and we'll be good.

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Aimi: Hola, mis amigos. ¿Qué tál? Believe it or not, I'm already getting Chapter 3 written:D Who knows? If you're all REALLY lucky, and really REALLY good reviewers, I might even FINISH this fic! X3 .. O.o I mean.. Reviewers get cookies! (Provided courtesy of OTHER reviewers who give me cookies for updating. n.n Go review people!)

To Compy- Darn you! Now _I _can't read Ch. 2 without imagining Bakura talking to the gems! XP "My little friends!" XD

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Chapter 3: The Royal Rogue

A wide-eyed Bakura shook his head in disbelief. "Master.." He still needed a minute to take it all in. "I'm your MASTER..?" The bishie- I mean..- genie nodded, emerald eyes shining with mischief. "So.. What does this mean..?"

Meru shrugged. "I am a genie, aren't I? I suppose that means you get three wishes." Mortals.. Couldn't they keep up with myths and legends, just for a century or two? Alla, it wasn't like he was the _only_ genie or something.

Bakura contemplated it. Three wishes.. What could he do with those? His lips parted to his frightening grin. He could get rid of those impervious imperial guards.. A dark, low laugh escaped his throat.

The genie sighed. And of course the ignorant mortals didn't know genies could read minds.. Not thought for thought of course, but concepts. He rolled his eyes and drily said, "I can't kill anyone."

The thief winced. Well there went that. Hm... Three wishes.. Three wishes.. What could he accomplish with three wishes? His eyes lit up. Better yet! What could he accomplish with-

"No wishing for more wishes."

He cringed again. "Are there any other rules I should know about, O Chivalrous One?" Bakura asked. His sarcasm was almost on the verge of flat out rude. Almost.

The genie shrugged, deciding to sit- er..- float? cross-legged for a while. Abiad stared up at him, unnerved. This would take some getting used to. "Hm. Not many. Mainly, no obtaining godhood. No obtaining power that would rival godhood. No wishes that would throw nature irreconcilably out of balance. And no manipulating of the heart."

Bakura's heart skipped a beat on the last one. Manipulating the heart.. MAKING others fall in love.. It couldn't be done, magic or no. That much he knew already. But.. The mind could influence the heart more than anything.. So he could wish for things to help manipulate the mind... He grinned. He could have power..

He could have Kisara...

"Well?" Meru asked, impatience barely present in his light voice. Outwardly, though, he seemed calm enough. "Will you make your first wish now?" First thing was first. No wish he made was going to be worth the breath to make it while he was still trapped in this little stone chamber. But he didn't want to waste a wish just getting out...

Meru grinned at his young master's train of thought. So many before had made that mistake, only to regret it later. It would be interesting seeing how this human decided to get around it.

Bakura's psychotic smile played on his lips as the answer came to him. "I wish I was a prince..in a mansion outside Agraba..."

A light chuckle escaped Meru's sensual lips. "Very good, young master!" He looked to the little fox below him, shifting to 'sit' on his knees, propping his head with one hand. "Get my lamp, would you, fox kit?" Abiad growled curiously and retrieved the lamp. The genie grinned mischeviously. "And now.. I suppose your wish, is my command!"

In a cloud of sparking red smoke, they were gone.

---

Bakura gaped at the size of his new home. It's polished alibaster walls gleamed with every ray of new dawn's light. Gold gilt was around the edges of the roof and windows. And the windows had GLASS! Every last one of them! He had seen glass before, of course. But it was used for windows by few; most _nobility_ couldn't afford it. The grand towers offered a view of the entire oasis surrounding the estate. He had trees and clean water! The oasis was even large enough to have birds and a few other small animals as permanent inhabitants. Bakura decided it was like having his own natural menagerie.

"Amazing.." he said to himself. "Absolutely amazing.." While his pet human was gaping, Abiad decided to chase a locust hopping around near the water.

"I'm glad you like it," Meru said cheerfully. "I'd've given you more animals, but I didn't think you'd be around enough to take care of them.." Bakura gave him a not-quite-dirty look. The genie just smiled. So he was right. "Who is she?"

"What?"

"Who is she?" he repeated. "Most of my masters have wanted power or money, but a prince? There must be a reason for that title.. ... Who is she?" Bakura's hesitation only widened his grin. This mortal would keep him entertained. That part was certainly for sure. "Well..?"

Bakura looked down, his dark skin concealing his blush from the sight of eyes, but not the sight of minds. "Kisara.." he said solemnly. "It's stupid. I know that. But I won't be able to stop wondering until I've given it a shot." He shrugged. "And even though she'll reject me in the end, I'll have a few memories, and I'll still have this power and money."

Oh? Meru gave him a pathetic look that resembled a cross of sulking and confusion. "Now why do you think she would reject you? You seem okay to me.." Bakura just rolled his eyes, not quite the fired-up reaction his new friend had been hoping for.

"To you. YOU'RE not the most powerful princess for hundreds of leagues!" He sighed. "Prince or no, I'll still ACT just as I always have. She could never love a country-bred rogue like me.."

Meru shrugged. It was a good point, and one he couldn't do much to help. But the heart was strange, and women were even stranger. One never knew when it came to such things. He grinned. "Look on the bright side. If she's so powerful, at least she can't marry up. You won't have to risk losing her to a higher noble."

Silence. Even the air seemed stiff. Meru looked to his young master to find him near a state of shock. He blinked. "What's wrong?"

A few more moments silence passed before Bakura choked out, "Noble.." He then began to sob. "I'm a noble..! A bloody! ----ing! Noble!" He sobbed even harder. Meru just laughed.

---

"Hello, father," Kisara chimed as she entered the large room, Kali at her heels. Kyprioth and Rispa were still in her chambers.

Today's outfit was similar to the day before: a scant top and long skirt slit high on the sides. This time, they were as sapphire as her eyes. Each covered by what would have been a more modest skirt or shirt, but were see-through sky blue. She wore the same sapphire necklace, and, for a noble of her ranking, a restraint of other jewelry, all of it silver rather than gold.

She approached the sultan. He was a large, burly man that looked to be in his late fifties or so. With his full silvering black beard and close cropped hair of the same color against tanned skin, he looked nothing like his daughter. Even his face, lines framed to a near-permanent smile, was a contrast to her ever shy one. The only trait they shared was their blue eyes, his lighter than Kisara's. He wore an expensive white suit and a white turban, not to mention jewelry that would put Meru at his most adorned to shame. Beside him stood his royal advisor, a pale-teal-haired official whose eyes were two different colors. Kisara looked up at them as she asked, "You called for me?"

The sultan nodded. "Yes, Kisara. It seems you have another suitor come to call." She gave an exasperated sigh, but he continued before she could protest. "Daughter, you have to give him a try. It is your DUTY to marry and give me an heir."

She sighed. "I know, father.. And duty and honor are everything to a noble, right?" He nodded gravely. It wasn't the reaction she'd wanted, but she'd expected it enough. "Where is he?"

"YARP!" a high voice yipped as a white desert fox raced into the room, ignoring a call of 'Abiad!' from the distance. Abiad trotted over to a delighted Kisara and an intrigued Kali. He sniffed each and yipped again.

A guard was suddenly shoved into the room and hurriedly yelled, "His Highness, Bakura of Eugor!" (Anyone guesses the originality of that name, and I'll give them free ice cream.) The guard jumped aside as Bakura hurriedly, but formally, entered the room and bowed, then rushed to the princess' side.

Dartz' eyes shot open. Bakura.. 'His Highness? Hardly.. There's only one way he could have pulled this off.' He backed into the shadows, out of sight. 'And he will pay..'

"Abiad, WHAT do you think you're DOING!" Bakura shout-whispered, scooping the little fox up. "Please, forgive him.."

Kisara merely laughed, a beautiful, resonant sound that echoed in Bakura's ears. "It's quite all right. I love foxes.." Kali yipped happily and swished her bushy tail as she looked up at her tiny new friend. Kisara laughed again. "Kali likes him, too!" After a moment of thought, she suddenly asked, "Where did you say you were from..?"

"Um.." Oh what had he decided.. "Eugor! Its a very, VERY distant land." He looked the part, too. To add to the foreign affect, Meru had clothed him in a black silk shirt, covered by a deep not-quite-crimson red tunic etched with gold, and white hose. He wore black boots, and even a scant amount of jewelry. "I was on a journey through these parts, and decided to check on the rumors that Agraba had the most beautiful princess in the desert," he said sweetly, making Kisara blush. He put on a mask of disinterest. "I'll admit, I'm disappointed with whoever started them. I'm afraid I have to disagree with the rumors.."

"Hm?" She felt suddenly dejected. Well.. He probably HAD seen a lot of princesses if he was from such a distant country.. Right? Kisara forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Her father, though, gave Bakura an extremely dirty look.

"And why do you say that, young prince?" he growled almost visciously.

He still looked uninterested. "Well.. Two things. They SAY the most beautiful princess in the desert.." He grinned, taking one hand to kiss it as he said, "They SHOULD say the most beautiful woman in the world.." Kisara's pale face turned crimson; the sultan laughed heartily.

"I rather like this one, daughter! A sense of humor, not like some of those political stiffs!" He winked at the boy. "You be nice, and I think you could win her yet!"

The princess sulked, face even redder as she pulled her hand back. "Father..." He just laughed.

Bakura smiled gallantly. "Hush now.. You're getting so flustered." Abiad gave a small whine, making them both laugh. "You see? Even Abiad agrees. Why don't we take a walk in the menagerie so you can clear your head?"

Sapphire blue met gray-violet as a new blush arose. She nodded. "All right... If Kali wants to, that is," she added with a smile.

"Yarp!" They laughed.

Bakura offered her an arm, which she took. Who knew? Maybe she would fall for him after all. "The menagerie it is then."

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Aimi: Hm.. That was decent length, right? I actually wrote this in one setting:3 I'm getting better about that. Hm? It was a three and a half hour setting? -shrug- And I care...? XP

Oh! Though seriously! Can anyone figure out the utter enigma that is the word 'Eugor'? C'mon. Ya know ya want to.. -grin- I know its SO hard, (not) but I still wanna see how many people freeze and can't figure it out.. X3 Meh. I'm weird like that. Spring Break ends soon, so if you want constant updates, I'd better get constant reviews! Keep 'em comin', my loyal fans! X3


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